Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1887-11-24
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thrown from his carriage three month
ago. and instantly killed. 1t was I
great shock to Alice, her mother
said"
Joe stared a moment in his friend.
face. as if only half understanding
him. Then he went out and G ideor
saw him cross the field at the bacl
Of the house and 60 into the wood be-
yond.
HE wants to think it all out" NUT
tered Gideon. He can't believe hi.
waiting is over"
1t was nearly midnight when Joe
came in. and then he lay down in hi:
rude bunk without word to his com.
rade. who was silent, too.
With the dawn of day Joe was up,
busy with hammer and nails about his
house and fences.
Il want to make things look nice. -
he said to Gideon. Il don't want
Alice to see the place untidy. She S
sure to want to look around. and to
see how we We been livin'.''
He rehung the gate. mended the
fence, trained up the rose-bushes. and
swept the yard at the back of the
house. He went from one piece of
work to another with nervous anxiety
that betrayed how greatly the news of
his old loves homecoming had moved
him.
Il believe I'd go mad if I stopped
work for even half an hour" he said.
with nervous laugh. when Gideon
called him to dinner at noon; land I
couldn't eat morsel. comrade; don t
ask me to try"
just at nightfall. he gathered big
bunch of syringa and roses, and. dress
ing himself in his best. started in the
direction of the Harlan farmhouse
you'd better wait till tomorrow,
said Gideon. hurrying after him. You
can't see her to- nj ght."
i've waited twenty years." was
the answer Il can't wait no longer
not another hour. And I'll see her
they won't refuse me-
He went on. a bright smile on his
face. and old Gideon went back into
the little house again. a strange and
dread knocking at his
heart.
When Joe reached the Harlan farm
house, he fingered few moments in
the moonlight half afraid. now, TO
meet his old love again.
ppm old and grizzled. he NUT
tered, as he leaned on the gate and
let his eyes rest on the house which
held his all. Il wonder if she'll know
me?"
He sighed. pushed open the gate,
and went up the box bordered path.
The door was not opened IN answer
to his knock; but a woman-some one
he had never seen before-came
around the side of the house.
..I-want to see-her." he said,
hesitatingly, choking sound in his
voice.
The woman glanced at the flowers
he carried, and seemed to understand
him.
You can go in" she said. Go in
% the par!or-she's there"
Then she went back to the rear of
,he house again. and Joe entered the
,all and pushed open the parlor door
He wondered little that Alice should
be there. for. as in most country
houses. the parlor was kept shut up,
md used only on rare occasions Joe
lad never been admit ed TO it in the
lays of his counting. He had told his
owe to Alice in the family living-room,
II out under the great locust trees that
stood before the gate.
The parlor would have been in dark
less now, had it not been for the
that flooded it. Joe looked
about him wonderingly, then his eyes
ell upon some thing in the center of
he room. and he staggered towards
t with hoarse cry, throwing out his
,rms like one drunk with despair.
Yes, Alice was there! But she was
leaf to his cry of agony, blind to the
lot bitter tears which gathered in his
eyes.
She had died on her journey home.
md lay now in her coffin. the glory of
he moonlight on her white. cold face.
ler thin hands. on the third finger of
one of which her wedding-ring hung
oosly, crossed over her silent heart.
She looked old and worn; there were
ines of care on her once smooth brow,
md the hair which Joe had likened to
sunshine in days past was thickly-
'prinkled with gray.
But the man who had loved her 50
ong and faithfully did not notice the
changes which the years had wrought.
As he stood above her coffin, his one
bought was that he saw her again,
hat his long waiting was over, and
hat it had been in vain. H. had said
hat he would see her before he died.
,ut he had not dreamed that it would
Dc a cold, pulseless form that would
'eturn to his yearning arms, face
)allid with the hue of death that W ,uld
meet his tender gaze. He had fire.
Iuently contemplated his own disease,
,ut it had never occurred to him that
lie could die.
When the woman who had met him
outside the house opened the parlol
loor an hour later. she found him
lifting by the coffin, one arm thrown
'ver it. His eyes were bent on the
worm, white face before him, his hand
till grasped the bunch of syringa and
.OsoS. but his great lovinU heart h al